The present invention relates to lawnmowers; more particularly, the present invention relates to cutoff systems for lawnmowers.
Many homeowners and small businessmen utilize lawnmowers on a frequent basis to cut the grass surrounding residences. These lawnmowers often include bags or containers to catch grass clippings once they have been cut from the growing grass. As the bag or container for the clippings becomes heavier, it becomes more difficult to maneuver the lawnmower. Similarly, as the bag or container for the clippings becomes full, the clippings in the bottom of the bag may be recirculated through the turning cutting blade and back onto the growing grass. Users must then estimate the occurrence of changes in mower operating characteristics to determine when it is time to empty the clipping collection container.
Mower clogging problems also manifest themselves when the grass clippings are wet. These problems usually occur after a period of rain and a portion of the lawn is still damp. Operation of a lawnmower with an inordinate amount of wet clippings in the clipping collection container may affect the weight distribution of the lawnmower on its wheels and cause an uneven cut and the excess weight may damage the grass collection container.
Riding lawnmowers exhibit similar problems. In many riding lawnmowers, a small window is provided which purportedly allows the user to check on the level of clippings in the collection containers. Visibility through these windows is quickly obscured by the dust normally associated with a mowing operation. Accordingly, it is impossible to determine when the collection containers are full. Users must then estimate when it is time to empty the clipping collection containers.
The prior art has addressed numerous systems for providing safety interlocks for lawnmowers; however, none of these systems has addressed the need for providing a cutoff system for the lawnmower in response to the weight of the grass clippings in the clippings catch bag or clipping collection container.
There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide a system which cuts off the engine in a lawnmower in response to the weight of the clippings contained in the clippings catch bag or clipping collection container.